Tailpiece retainer for stringed instruments



TAILPIECE RETAINER FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Filed July 22, 1957 INVENTOR Fran/r Pqssa ATTO R N EY United States Patent TAILPIECE RETAINER FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Frank Passa, 391 Sutter St., San Francisco, Calif. Filed July 22, 1957, Ser. No. 673,355

1 Claim. (Cl. 84-302) This invention relates to manually adjustable, flexible tailpiece retainers for stringed instruments such as violins and the like.

The strings of violins, violas, violoncellos and related instruments are held fast at one end by a member located on the body of the instrument and known as a tailpiece. The tailpiece is removable and is held in place by a retainer, which heretofore has taken the form of a length of gut bent into the shape of a U with the ends inserted in openings provided therefor in the end of the tailpiece and secured against slipping out by smaller pieces of gut wound around the retainer gut and tied in place.

It is desirable to locate the tailpiece properly on the instrument and to maintain it in position in spite of changes due to age and atmospheric conditions. In order to do so the present invention comprises a novel retainer of nylon or similar plastic material which is as soft and flexible as gut and many times as strong. To achieve the requisite adjustability of the retainer, both ends are threaded and are held in place, after being inserted through openings in the end of the tailpiece, by means of knurled nuts which are easily manipulated by hand. The nylon retains its threaded shape so that the nuts are prevented from slipping 01f, or even loosening, and this characteristic is enhanced by the compressibility of the nylon, which allows slightly undersized nuts to be threaded thereon. Furthermore, the nylon, being as pliable as gut, has none of the ill effects on tone or timbre which musicians attribute to metallic wire retainers and which cause them to reject any substantial use of metal on the finer instruments.

The invention will be more completely set forth in connection with the drawing in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a violin including a tailpiece secured by a retainer embodying the invention; and Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the underside of the tailpiece of Figure 1 and shows more clearly the configuration of the retainer of the invention.

In Figure 1 there is shown a violin having body 11, an elongated neck 12 terminating in a scroll 13, the four tuning pegs 14, the strings 16 and a finger-board 17. The

body 11 has an upper surface 18, sound holes 19, a

lower surface, or back 21, and sides, or ribs, 22.. At the end of the body 11 opposite the neck 12 is a pin 23 around which is looped a plastic retainer 24 such as nylon, for a tailpiece 26. The nylon retainer is sufficiently flexible to bend easily over the end of the body 11, yet is substantially inextensible. The tailpiece 26 has a round upper surface and fans out slightly at one end to receive the strings 16 in four holes 27. A slot 2,971,422 Patented Feb. 14, 1961 is cut into the tailpiece 26 from the side of each of the holes 27 so that the strings 16 may be easily inserted through the relatively large holes, tied, and held by the knots from slipping through the relatively constricted slots. A bridge 28 is mounted on the body 11 between the tailpiece 26 and the finger-board 17.

Figure 2 shows the relatively flat underside of the tailpiece 26 with the retainer 24 loosely in place. Tailpieces are usually made of ebony and are routed out in the region of the holes 27 so that there will be space for the knotted ends of the strings. In addition, the constricted end is bevelled, as indicated by reference character 29 and a routed out section 30 is provided there also. A pair of holes 31 is drilled lengthwise of the tailpiece from the bevelled section 29 to the routed out section 30, and the ends of the threaded, nylon retainer 24 are inserted therethrough. The routed-out section 30 provides space so that a pair of knurled nuts 32 can be threaded onto the retainer 24 to keep it in place. These nuts are so small as not to affect the tone of the instrument as larger pieces of metal, for instance wire retainers, are said to do. The knurled nuts 32 may be easily rotated by hand to adjust the length of the bight of retainer 24 as precisely as may be desired. Since even the threaded ends of the retainer are flexible, the retainer may be made as long as desired, so as to fit instruments of any size. If the threaded ends are too long to nestle easily within the routed out section 30, it is a simple matter to cut ofi": the excess length of nylon without distorting or destroying the threads. Because the end of the threaded portion of the nylon retainer 24 retains its shape, it is easy to affix the knurled nuts 32 without damaging the internal thread of the nuts, and this in spite of the fact that the internal diameter of the nuts may be slightly undersized so as to squeeze the nylon tightly and not be shaken or vibrated loose. Thus one size of retainer may be made to fit all sizes of instruments.

While a preferred embodiment has been described, it will be apparent that modifications are possible within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claim.

What is claimed is:

A retainer for the tailpiece of a stringed instrument, said tailpiece having a pair of longitudinal openings adjacent one end through which the ends of said retainer are inserted, said retainer comprising: a length of flexible, compressible, substantially inextensible nylon, both ends of which are threaded; and a pair of knurled metallic nuts in threaded engagement with said ends, said nuts having an outer diameter larger than said openings to prevent the ends of said retainer from slipping out, the thread diameter of said nuts being smaller than that of said ends whereby said nuts are held firmly in place on said nylon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 375,710 Lorenz Dec. 27, 1887 1,514,590 Parr Nov. 4, 1924 1,757,170 Callier May 6, 1930 1,791,977 Seckendorf Feb. 10, 1931 2,680,987 Straton June 15, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 27,340 Great Britain 1907 130,179 Switzerland Feb. 16, 1929 

